14 Canada geese found decapitated, mutilated

After finding more than a dozen Canada geese decapitated and mutilated in Toronto this week, police have launched an animal cruelty investigation.

The remains of approximately 14 dead geese were discovered Monday morning in an industrial area of north Toronto, on Clayson Road, according to the Toronto Police Service.

The birds had been brutally maimed, police said. Some were decapitated or had their necks snapped, while some had their wings and legs ripped off.

One young goose survived the attack and was brought to the Toronto Wildlife Centre for treatment and rehabilitation. The "traumatized" gosling suffered two broken ribs and a puncture wound, the charitable wildlife rescue organization said in a statement Tuesday.

Toronto Wildlife Centre

An injured Canada gosling that survived an attack on other geese receives treatment at the Toronto Wildlife Centre on June 12, 2018.

The gosling seems to be in stable condition and is on several medications, including antibiotics and pain killers, Nathalie Karvonen, executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre, told ABC News in an email Wednesday.

"He's being housed with an adult Canada goose and two smaller goslings we have in care because, since he is so young, we also need to ensure that he doesn't habituate to people and has normal social interactions with his own species," Karvonen said.

Police do not believe the gruesome injuries were caused by another animal.

"The injuries did not appear to be consistent with another animal attack as the carcasses were intact," the Toronto Police Service said in a statement Tuesday.

A joint probe with the Toronto Police Service and the Canadian Wildlife Enforcement Directorate is working to identify and arrest the person or people responsible. The investigation remained ongoing Wednesday, Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told ABC News.